Photographer Eric Sherman found these two swans enjoying the warm weather last week on the open water of Shagawa River along County Road 88. By Friday, the temperatures which had reached close to 60 degrees had dropped considerabley as winter approached its final hurrah. All in all, Ely has had a remakrable great winter!

The Donald G. Gardner Humanities Trust board met on Wednesday, February 8, 2017 and approved its budget for 2017 that includes nearly $36,000 available for grants to individual artists and youth, arts organizations, the Ely Public Library and college scholarships.
The Trust’s spring grant round has a deadline of 12 noon on Friday, March 24. And there will again be a fall grant round with a deadline at the end of September. “The Trust and board have been working on some goals to update and improve our grantmaking process over the next few years.” stated Keiko Williams, the Trust’s executive director. “Recently the Individual Artist and Youth Grants have been updated. If people are going to apply to either of those grant programs they should make sure to download the newest forms from the website at www.gardnertrust.org.”

The Minnesota Department of Transportation will end winter load increases in the north-central frost zone Saturday, Feb. 25.

Road restriction maps showing the locations of weight-restricted routes and those state highways open to maximum 10-ton axle weights are listed at www.mndot.gov/loadlimits. Also available is a text list of the restricted segments and exceptions to the map.

Overweight permits for more than 80,000 pound gross vehicle weight will continue and new permits will be issued if all axle and group weights are legal.

Full-summer overweight permits can be issued during the spring load restriction period only on interstate through movements.

Middle-range overweight permits become available within each frost zone when spring load restrictions are lifted. Full-summer overweight permits become available two to three weeks after spring load restrictions are lifted.

Angela Louise (Robich) Barich, 94, of Ely, passed away on Wednesday, February 22, 2017 at the Boundary Waters Care Center in Ely. Angie was born on January 9, 1923 in Ely to Joseph and Mary (Zema) Robich. She was married to George J. Barich on May 2, 1968 for 28 years She was a lifetime resident of Ely who enjoyed canning peppers, making poticas, loved her polka music and for entertainment she liked to gamble. She worked for many years as a barmaid at the VFW Club and the Legion Building, as well as catering at Barbara Ann Bakery. She was a member of the Woman’s VFW Auxiliary, the Moose Club and St. Anthony’s Catholic Church. Angie was a great woman who worked hard all of her life but also was wonderful loving mother who will be gratefully missed but remembered in our hearts.

A study conducted by a Twin Cities based non-profit group attempts to put numbers to the impact of tourism in northeast Minnesota.
The Friends of the Boundary Waters released the study along with Dr. Evan Hjerpe of Conservation Economics Institute and the Quetico-Superior Foundation.
Surveys were given to people going on a trip in the Boundary Waters Canoe Area (BWCA) in 2016.
The results include an estimated overall economic impact of $77 million in Cook, Lake and St. Louis counties.
“We’ve always believed that Boundary Waters visitor spending creates sustainable economic opportunities and jobs in the surrounding communities,” stated Paul Danicic, executive director, FBWW.
“The study scientifically validates that the BWCAW is critical to the economic health of Northeastern Minnesota and will continue to have a significant impact for years to come.”

From the miscellaneous drawer by Anne Wognum in the Feb. 17, 1997 Ely Echo -

The car engine would struggle to reach the top of Miller Creek hill, passing an antique shop as the climb started, the noisiness of the old bridge from Superior, so close to the water, behind us. It seemed there were always huge, billowing clouds crowning shades of blue in the northern sky. The plateau at the top extended on to Canada, but it wasn’t until Virginia was behind us and the crest of that ridge was breached that I could exhale. Or traveling on County 4, straight north from Hoyt Lakes before the road was moved, having the valley of Embarrass before me.

Probably each of us has an idea of what our personal favorite newspaper should be. There’s always the question of whether we need to approve of every item in our personal newspaper or if we would be bored not knowing what our neighbors or opposites think.

There’s the quick gut reaction found in social media - Facebook, Twitter, and other sources, but they are not the permanent mark of a letter to the editor of a newspaper. This newspaper.
This newspaper is part of the record of the United States. It becomes a part of the Library of Congress Copyright Office.

When a letter to the Echo office is submitted by email or in print, what happens to it?

Almost always it gets printed.

The publisher readies it for the paper and then it is shown to the Editor, General Manager and also to other staff members of the Ely Echo.